Tape dispenser



April 30, 1968 H. BERMAN 3,380,874

TAPE DISPENSER Filed Dec. 20, 1965 INVENTOR.

HAROLD BER N ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ofice 3,380,874 Patented Apr. 30, 1968 3,380,874 TAPE DISPENSER Harold Berman, 1545 High St, Westwood, Mass. 0209i? Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 371,568, June 1, 1964. This application Dec. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 522,902

3 tllaims. (Cl. 156-577) ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE The specification discloses a pressure sensitive tape container and dispenser, adapted particularly to dispense narrow widths of tape, for drawing and analogous purposes. The dispenser includes a tape dispensing guide adapted to accurately locate the tape as it is dispensed relative to the side walls of the container, and a tape braking surface adapted to facilitate anchoring the tape relative to the container during use, when desired.

This is a continuation-in-part of my copending patent application, Ser. No. 371,568, filed June 1, 1964, and entitled, Tape Dispenser.

This invention relates to a compact, combination tape dispenser and package. In one form it relates to such a dispenser and package, which can be held in one hand and used to apply tape in a particular configuration much in the manner of a pen.

This invention, when provided with very narrow pressure-sensitive tapes (as, for example, to of an inch in width) colored or imprinted with suitable symbols, can be used to make statistical charts, graphs, tables and other pictorial representations. Such tapes can be used for many purposes as, for example, planning boards, layout grids, workfiow charts, organization and operation char-ts. Because of the ease with which tape can be taken off, repositioned and corrected as compared with conventional artist and drafting materials, the use of tapes (as for example, colored tapes, and tapes bearing repeated symbols) saves a great deal of time and hence expense.

Tape dispensers intended to be held in one hand and used like a pen have been previously described. Thus, US. Patent 2,918,189 describes such a dispenser for pressure-sensitive tape. However, the structure described in that patent requires the dispenser to have special means in order to maintain parallelism and also requires a set of rollers and an L-shaped supporting leg extending outwardly from one of the plates and adapted to rest on the surface to be taped. This is somewhat bulky and awkward for the person who must do the manipulation and, further, is somewhat costly because of the complexity of its construction.

One object of the present invention is to provide a simple, lightweight and compact combination tape dispenser and package.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a dispenser for use as a pen.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a dispenser which is disposable.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the specification and claims which follow taken together with the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the device showing a phantom hand applying the tape to a working surface.

FIG. 2 is a right end view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section along line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the assembly of the device.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a modified form of this invention.

The invention comprises generally an integral flat container enclosing an annular reel of pressure-sensitive tape and having a bottom throat provided with a curved frontal surface making substantially tangential contact with the surface to be taped, and a rearward curved tapebraking surface.

The present invention is in its preferred form, an integral tape-dispensing unit comprising in combination two plates and an annular reel of pressure-sensitive tape held between the plates. The plates are of substantially identical size and shape (although they may vary in thickness) and are joined together so as to register with one another. One plate has a recess which is generally annular so as to form a storage compartment for the tape, a hub and a bottom throat opening outward. The bottom surfaces of the plates are curved so as to have a rear contact surface and a substantially curved frontal surface making tangential contact with the surface to be taped and a rearward, curved tape-braking surface. Extremely narrow tapes, as for example, ,4 inch in width, can sometimes be caught in the bite between the two plates. Accordingly, in one form of this invention a groove is provided in the frontal surface of the throat. The dispensing unit of the invention can be joined together by various conventional means as, for example, cementing, riveting, or, as illustrated in the drawings, by a snap-fit means. The dispensing unit of this invention is preferably transparent and made of a moldable plastic.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings shows the dispensing unit assembly 11 comprising a first side plate 12 and a second side plate 13. The first plate 12 has an annular recess so as to form a ridge or lateral spacer 15, a throat and a hub 14. A recess 24 is provided in the hub so as to accommodate the projection 25 of the second plate 13. The tape reel 18 fits on the hub 14 and is held in position by the two plates. The bottom surface of the assembled plates has a frontward, curved contact surface 22 tangential at the exit of the throat 20 and a curved, tape-braking surface 19 to prevent unravelling. A center hole 26 is provided so that the entire device may be used in a compass, in conjunction with other similar devices and with conventional drafting or artists instruments.

In use, a leading edge 17 of an unwound portion 16 of the tape is first provided. When the user presses the device downward and draws the device in a particular direction, the leading edge 17 is deposited as desired and the pressure of the tangential curve 22 presses the succeeding portions of the tape in the particular configuration desired. When the tape is cut by a blade or the like, there is enough lead for the next application.

Where exceedingly narrow tape is to be used or where it is desired to use only a single mold for making a variety of sizes, fiat spacer plates in the shape of the annular recess may be built up so as to give an effectively narrower compartment.

Alternately, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the device comprises: a first side plate having the peripheral ridge or lateral spacer, and a second side plate 54. A narrow passage in the form of a groove 51 is provided in the frontal surface 52 of the throat portion 53 of the first plate 55, leading back from the curved contact or tape applying surface 56 at the throat exit. The very narrow tape 57 runs in the groove 51. As shown in FIG. 5, the lateral or transverse dimension of the groove 51 is substantially less than that of the space between the two side plates, and in view of its contour it receives and positions the tape 57 at a precise lateral location relative to the side walls of the marking device, to facili- .3 tate accurate use of the device as a marking or writing instrument as above described.

I claim:

1. A marking device, comprising a flat container housing a roll or narrow pressure sensitive tape, and adapted to dispense said tape, comprising first and second side plates, lateral spacer means between said side plates and located substantially peripherally of the side plates and defining an enclosed cavity between said side plates, the width of the tape being substantially less than the width of the spacing between said side plates, hub means located substantially centrally in said cavity rotatably supporting said roll of tape in said cavity, a dispensing opening in said container, a tape dispensing means at said dispensing opening having a stationary curved tape applying surface at said opening, over which said tape is fed, means defining a passage of substantially less width than the spacing between the side plates and having at least a portion approximately equal in width to the width of the tape, said passage defining means being integral and continuous with and located immediately adjacent and immediately preceding said surface along the tape feed path for laterally positioning the tape in a precise location relative to said dispenser at said dispensing opening. 7

2. A fiat container for housing a roll of narrow pressure sensitive tape and for dispensing said tape, comprising first and second side plates, lateral spacer means between said side plates and located substantially peripherally of the side plates and defining a substantially enclosed cavity between said side plates, hub means located substantially centrally in said cavity for rotatably supporting a roll of tape in said cavity, a dispensing opening in said spacer means, an elongate tape dispensing guide wall extending into said cavity from said dispensing opening and terminating in a curved tape applying surface at said opening, an elongate tape braking wall extending into said cavity from said dispensing opening and spaced from said guide wall to define with said guide wall a narrow tape dispensing throat discharging into said dispensing opening, said guide wall having a channel formed along at least a portion of its length to position tape drawn thereover and through said dispensing opening laterally of said container, whereby tape may be withdrawn from said container by guiding the back side of said tape over said guide wall, and may be secured against withdrawal by bringing the adhesive side of said tape against said braking wall.

3. A fiat container for housing a roll of narrow pressure sensitive tape and for dispensing said tape, comprising first and second side plates, lateral spacer means between said side plates and located substantially peripherally of the side plates and defining a substantially enclosed cavity between said side plates, hub means located substantially centrally in said cavity for rotatably supporting a roll of tape in said cavity, a dispensing opening in said spacer means at the bottom of said container and in front of said hub, an elongate tape dispensing guide wall extending into said cavity from said dispensing opening and terminating in a curved tape applying surface at said opening, an elongate tape braking wall extending into said cavity from said dispensing opening and spaced from said guide wall to define with said guide wall a narrow tape dispensing throat discharging into said dispensing Opening, said braking wall extending along a line running from said opening and in front of said hub.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,527,588 10/1950 Sorenson 156527 3,132,783 5/1964 Duncan .156-523 FOREIGN PATENTS 321,623 10/1934 Italy.

DOUGLAS J. DRUMMOND, Primary Examiner. 

